Take the Leap! Interview with Heather McCloskey Beck

by Tess

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Interview with Heather McCloskey Beck

1. What inspired you to write your book, Take The Leap?

In a very real sense, I have been writing Take the Leap in my mind throughout my life.  When I was quite young, I would think deeply on what it was that created happiness within me, and how I could embrace that knowledge and apply it to all aspects of my life.  

A bit later on, I learned that if I could experience a deep sense of inspiration while doing laundry, as well as when I was composing music, I would indeed, be a very happy person!

2. What if someone doesn’t have any idea what their passion is – how does one discover it?

Most often, when one doesn’t know what they are impassioned by in their lives, it is because they have forgotten.  When we born into these lives, we arrive fully locked and loaded, with our natural talents and Genius fully intact.  

However, when we are greeted by the social enculturation of our family, friends , religious environments, schools, community, and governments,  these ‘architectural frameworks’ in our lives often does not support the intrinsic person we were born to be.  

We may find that our family has other ideas for us.  Perhaps you wanted to photograph and study Tundra wolves, and your parents wanted you to come into the family business.  When we look to what we loved to do when we were children, we will discover a great indicator of what we likely would love to do now.

3. What is your favorite way to tap into your brilliance?

Truly it depends upon the moment.  When we begin to open up to our creative abilities, we will realize that we have many unique talents and passions; not just one.  

For me, I love to compose and play my music.  I love to write and make jewelry.  I love to speak and share inspired ideas. I love being in my garden and with my family.  How about you?

4. Define Dynamic Peace

Dynamic Peace is the outward, creative expression of our one really good thought, inspired into action, thus fueling an experience of value and meaning within our lives.  

When I am deeply immersed within my creative world, I am streaming in an internal environment of dynamic peace. In this place, I am my art form; I am my peace.

And when my personal expression of creativity reaches out for connection, inviting you into my immersive realm, then collectively, we create the capacity to share our peace, through the blending of our creative dynamic.

5. How does someone find 15 minutes a day when they have a commute, a job they don’t like, children and no extra support?

“We are all a little bit guilty of thinking that we are so busy and don’t have a moment to spare.  We think that we are operating at maximum efficiency and top-end speed and that we really don’t have time to consider changing anything.

The truth is, most of us are highly inefficient with how we manage our time.  First though, we must decide that we want to make some changes in our lives and prepare ourselves in a variety of simple ways.

In Part 2 of my book, Take the Leap, I outline how to actually being to create a life that you truly love.

Some specific and simple ways to begin to create more time we don’t think we have are: 

1) set your alarm and wake up a bit earlier each day and take some quiet time for yourself.

2) Instead of turning on the TV, take 15 minutes to do something that you truly enjoy. 

3) Take part of your lunch time for yourself to create a bit of peace and solitude. 

4) Do not make additional commitments for after work.  Say No, instead of Yes.  

5) Before going to bed, do not simply turn off the TV or computer, and get ready for bed and jump in. 

We need to ease our minds and sooth our souls.  Instead, take a hot bath or shower, light a candle and create some relaxed time for yourself before going to sleep.  You will sleep more deeply and dream more sweetly.

6. What does peace in the world have to do with my passion and brilliance?

To create peace within our world, we need to look within ourselves to that place where conscience and creativity reside.  From within this creative reservoir, the gift of personal expression is born with an exuberance and desire to channel in the joy and love of Dynamic Peace.  

When we are actively joyful and creatively productive, we are dynamically practicing peace.  We become unified within ourselves and we can share that out into our world.

7. It’s very easy and tempting for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a work/online addiction.  How do you avoid that pitfall?

When we are actively aligning with our Calling, that which we were born to do, then we have the capacity to know when we are moving out of balance.  

If we find ourselves becoming obsessive about anything, we need to take some time, breathe, and ask these questions – is this feeling good to me?  Is it productive, meaningful and valuable to me?  Or am I simply repeating a pattern of behavior that I no longer want to have in my life.  

Addictions create highly repetitive behavior that takes us away from our passion and brilliance, replacing it with stressors that create resistance and despair.

Over-indulging in anything creates aberrant behaviors that become highly destructive over time.  Be awake and aware of how you are taking care of yourself.  Are you eating well, sleeping enough, exercising and feeling happy?  

Are you giving yourself time to do activities that make you happy and inspired?  All work and no play creates an unbalanced and unhappy life.  Be alert.

8. How does an unbalanced life affect peace in the world?

When we are not living happy and productive lives, our family and friends suffer, as well. Multiply that times 7 billion people and it becomes very clear how that would disallow any sense of peace within our world.  

Peace begins and occurs within the individual when we create lives that are compellingly valuable and meaningful.  

9. What happens to us when we don’t live an inspired and creative life?

When we stray away from that which we love to do, our lives take on a manner of mediocrity, leaving us feeling uninspired and flat.  

Our days become cycles of repetition, which invariably lead to gnawing pain and the temptation to engage in aberrant and self-destructive behaviors, if only to feel something, to spice things up and feel alive, when all they really succeed in doing is tearing our lives down.

Mediocrity is insidious and deadly, lulling us into a dull place where we resist responding to our Calling, simply because it seems too hard to do anything about it.

When we are caught up in the malaise of not-doing, altering the familiar patterns seems to require too much effort. When we live within the confines of mediocrity for too long, we begin to resist doing something other, resist doing anything at all, that could give us a lift back into ourselves, back to where

we were when we Leaped into these lives in the first place. It is this malaise and mediocrity from which we’ll be breaking free through the process I outline in Part Two of Take the Leap.

10. What final thoughts do you want to leave us with?

dare to leap

I will share the closing of my book, Take the Leap.  “As we launch ourselves into our auspicious and most optimistic future, may we unite as a family of humankind, respecting and embracing our unique differences, understanding that we are all resonantly luminous particles in this Quantum Wave of wondrous humanity.

Together, may we each expand into the brilliance of who we were born to be, and collectively, may we flourish within the grace of Dynamic Peace for all.”

If you're ready to leap, click here to purchase Take the Leap

Heather McCloskey Beck is an inspirational author, speaker and musician, and co-founder of the global peace movement, Peace Flash. Heather is a columnist for The Huffington Post and frequently speaks to groups across the United States. With a growing following on her Facebook pages that has surpassed one million fans, Beck offers both virtual and on-site workshops and events to inspire people to create lives that feel meaningful and valuable. Take the Leap is available in all book stores and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in both print and digital formats.

Heather is giving away two copies of her book!!! For a chance to win, please click on Facebook and Twitter and share this post! Then come back and confirm that you shared and why you're ready to take the leap! 
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Robert January 30, 2014 at 1:41 am

Thanks Tess and Heather – I really enjoyed this interview. I think, nothing is more important than leading a life that’s filled with love and passion. If we love what we do, if we are truly passionate about it, we are connected with our true nature, with our true Self. And, when we are connected and aligned with our true self, we are also open and ready to allow joy, abundance, happiness… (which is all part of our true nature) to flow into our live.
Robert´s last post…9 Energy Vibrations To Completely Transform your Life

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Tess January 30, 2014 at 8:51 am

Robert,
Let the joy, abundance and happiness flow in! My intention is to be loving and passionate!

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Valerie January 30, 2014 at 3:17 pm

I shared! I’d love to explore the ideas in this book.

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Tess January 30, 2014 at 6:39 pm

Thanks Valerie! You’re in the running!

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Sarah January 31, 2014 at 4:44 pm

I don’t have a Facebook account, but I love the premise of this book and want to know more! Specifically I am fascinated to find out how it speaks to people who DO already make time to do the things they’re passionate about, but still feel like they don’t have enough of it, or can’t get results, or are slowly finding out that they’ve pursued the wrong dreams. These questions all fascinate me, and this book looks like fantastic reading!
Sarah´s last post…The Dream of Marriage

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Sarah January 31, 2014 at 4:46 pm

Oh! But I shared on Twitter! Thank you!!
Sarah´s last post…The Dream of Marriage

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